


hold my hand (it's a long way down)

by Chosenfire



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Stiles, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Bond, Scenting, Werewolf Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-11-24
Packaged: 2017-12-31 14:03:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1032542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chosenfire/pseuds/Chosenfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek has no intention of ever going back to Beacon Hills, but a call from Scott changes that.  When he gets there, Derek finds something unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	hold my hand (it's a long way down)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Reiya_Wakayama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reiya_Wakayama/gifts).



In the five years he’d been gone Beacon Hills had barely changed. Derek shouldn't have been surprised by that but he was. He expected to see some outward sign of what the town had gone through. 

He pulled up onto the curb, ignoring the buzzing of his phone. Cora had been checking every ten minutes or so to see if he had made it into town yet. He had stopped replying back on the second day of his drive from New York to California. He'd started ignoring the messages all together this morning. If it was anything important, she knew to call. 

Derek was getting out of the car when the door of the Stilinski house opened. The naked relief on Scott's face almost made him get back in the car and drive back the way he'd come, away from the apparent belief that he could fix this.

Derek had stopped trying to fix anyone's problems after it had become more than clear that he couldn't even handle his own. 

"I'm glad you came." Scott greeted him. The years apart hadn't changed the open smile but there was a solidness to him that let Derek know that Scott had matured into the adult he'd already been becoming, the Alpha Derek had left behind to deal with the mess the town had turned into. 

Derek inclined his head and looked beyond him to the house. It hadn't changed much either. He could smell the others even from here - their worry, mixed with pain and exhaustion. The Sheriff, the Argents, Isaac, and Lydia. Peter would have been here if it had been even a few years earlier. He was dead now, his ambitions having led to what had been a more permanent death. All Derek knew was that it had been one of the Argents, and Lydia had made sure that he wouldn’t be coming back again. That information Derek had been glad to pass along to her. 

The few clipped conversations he'd shared with Peter before that hadn't been long enough to fit in anything about the continued local tragedies. Derek had heard enough to know that they'd faced a lot after he had left with Cora. First from Cora who had kept in contact with Stiles of all people. Then from Stiles himself when Cora had been too tired to answer the phone one night and Derek had been too annoyed to stop himself when he saw who was calling. They’d talked a lot since then. 

The Alpha pack and the Kanima had only been the tip of the iceberg after the Nemeton had been reawoken. Derek had offered what advice and knowledge he could, things half remembered from stories his grandfather had told him, mixed with whatever he had learned from an old witch that ran a bookstore down the block from their apartment. He’d heard everything from pain to wonder in Stiles' voice at the things he’d seen. 

Stiles hadn’t once asked for him to come back and help, and he'd been grateful for that. But when Scott had called and told him what had happened he hadn't had to be asked. He'd offered to come back. 

"Where is he?" Derek asked to break the awkward silence that was building. He already knew, the smell was faint and had changed slightly, but it was still him.

Scott nodded towards the house and Derek fell in step behind him as they entered the house. "He's in his room, he locked the door and won't talk to anyone. We've been trying to help him but he doesn't want to see any of us." The shirt Scott was wearing smelled of detergent but there was a line of blood smeared into his skin near the sleeve. 

Derek ignored the looks the others gave him, bypassing them as he hit the stairs. He vaguely heard Scott explaining why he was there to the others as he pushed back their voices and focused his senses on the breathing he could hear on the other side of the door.

Derek kept his voice soft, knowing he would be heard. "Let me in." 

The door opened and Stiles stood on the other side. He looked like crap. There was blood soaked into his clothes, his own and Scott’s from what Derek could smell, but no wounds were visible on Stiles. Derek had expected that. His hair was longer than when Derek had last seen him, standing up wildly as if Stiles had been raking his fingers through it. 

Scott wore his age like a badge, having grown into his body and the power he carried. Stiles wore the years like a noose that was choking him. He’d lost the softness his body had held when Derek had left and had gained a couple inches in height. 

His eyes were wide with shock, and Derek didn't stop himself from crossing the threshold and wrapping his arms tightly around Stiles' back. Derek's movements were stiff, it had been a long time since he’d hugged anyone but Cora. But he couldn't do anything else when it came to Stiles, he'd earned at least that much from Derek.

Stiles breathed heavily against Derek's neck, air cold on his skin as Stiles exhaled and sniffed, scenting him. It hit Derek then, Stiles' scent surrounding him. Things were going to be a bit more complicated. 

Derek felt claws press lightly into his skin and he relaxed, running his hand soothingly up and down Stiles' back, trying to push back the newfound knowledge of what Stiles meant to him now. He wondered if Peter had known, if that's why he'd offered him the bite. He'd always gone on about how special Stiles was.

"Fuck." Stiles' voice was ragged, and Derek felt his skin already healing where nails had pierced. He just held Stiles tighter, walking him back towards the bed till he stumbled and fell. Derek tried to control the fall enough so he could straddle Stiles' thighs, still holding him. It felt natural. "I almost killed Scott!" Stiles voice rose, panicked, as he looked up at Derek, not trying to pull away. 

"I know." Derek forced himself to pull back so he could slide his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor. "Scott told me, he said it was an accident." He toed off his boots; his mother raised him with enough manners to know he didn't track dirt into another person's bed. He needed something else to concentrate on then Stiles warm beneath him. 

Stiles huffed, his voice harsh "Oh yeah, that makes it better. I almost accidentally killed my best friend." Guilt was already twisting his features as Stiles drew back towards the headboard. Derek let him retreat a little before pressing closer, knowing he couldn't let him continue on the path he was on. 

"It was an accident," Derek repeated firmly, trying to get him to accept it. 

Stiles shook his head, nostrils flaring and agitation tightening his body. "Yeah, that doesn't make it any better." He looked away, no longer meeting Derek's eyes, and his hands twisted nervously in his bloodstained shirt. "I wanted to make him listen to me. What if my dad... ," he choked out.

Derek reached forward, fingers brushing Stiles' chin and Stiles shivered, turning back towards him. "I won't let that happen." Stiles looked doubtful and Derek didn’t blame him. He didn’t have the best track record. This time however Derek didn’t really have a choice. 

Derek pushed him back further into the mattress, letting his weight fall on Stiles more firmly. He wasn’t an Alpha anymore but he knew how to dominate another wolf, especially this wolf. Derek let his claws press into Stiles' skin light enough to startle him and Stiles sucked in a breath, bucking up against him instinctively, brows furrowing as he relaxed. 

"Yeah," Stiles breathed out, his focus changing and his eyes flashing red as Derek's grip tightened. "Okay." The fight seemed to leave his body as the color bled away. 

Scott had told him and he could practically feel it vibrating against his skin, but still it was a shock to see. Derek didn’t comment on it though, instead slipping his hands under Stiles' shirt and pulling it up. He tried to ignore the way his skin tingled at touching Stiles. 

Stiles wiggled back, making it more difficult, a smile starting to work its way on his face. “Seriously?” 

“It's disgusting,” Derek deflected the inquiring look directed his way, finally getting the shirt over his arms. Derek doubted it would take him long to figure out what this was. Stiles was smart and, from what Derek knew, he’d been reading a lot about the habits of werewolves.  
He tossed the shirt to the floor where he could sniff out other dirty laundry, then started to move back to get a washcloth so Stiles could get rid of the blood that had soaked through the fabric and down to his skin. It was Scott's; Derek had smelled the still healing cuts on his way in. He also needed some space to think things through. Cora was going to laugh at him. 

“I bet.” Stiles was smiling now. “I think you just wanted to get me out of my shirt.”

Derek grinned, baring his teeth at Stiles. “Yeah, you're onto me.” 

He was reaching for the door when there was a rush of air behind him. Stiles was warm against Derek’s back, standing a little closer than necessary and his fingers were loosely curled around Derek’s wrist. "I know you probably plan on staying in some craptastic motel, but I wouldn’t mind if you stayed, if you’d want to." A pause, then, "I think there are some things we need to talk about.” There was command in his voice that Derek was powerless against.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

********

Derek didn't get much sleep that night. He had stayed close to Stiles until he fell asleep, then he headed downstairs where he knew there were still people waiting. Only Scott, the Sheriff, and Lydia were left. Derek didn't know where Isaac or Allison and her father had gone but was grateful for that small reprieve. He didn't really feel up to facing either of them, the only reason he'd come back was because Scott had told him Stiles needed him.

The Sheriff was the first to stand when he stepped off the last stair. "Will he be okay?" He looked strained with only the worry a parent could have.

Derek shifted under the attention, feeling uncomfortable and out of place here. He had grown used to not being expected to have all the answers. "I don't know," he admitted honestly. He would help Stiles adjust, but he had no clue how to do that and if anything he tried would even really work. 

Stiles was an Alpha. He was also Derek’s mate but that wasn’t the immediate issue. Stiles was a newly turned Alpha. 

Derek didn't know how that had happened. Scott hadn't been too clear on the details. All Derek knew was that Stiles smelled like a newly turned wolf, with a power he had no hopes of handling on top of that. Scott had given him the cliff notes version. Stiles had become a werewolf and an Alpha all in the past week. The full moon had happened the night after he was turned and Scott had tried to help him through it. Stiles had almost killed him. Scott didn’t seem too bothered by that, but Stiles clearly was. 

Derek had seen firsthand that newly turned werewolves were dangerous on their own. Add in the rush of power that only an Alpha could wield, and put him around another werewolf and a pack that wasn't his was a recipe for disaster.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Clearly Scott's goodwill was fading fast and panic laced with accusation filled his voice. "You said you could help!"

"I can," Derek admitted, a plan already forming, one he was sure no one here would like. "Just not here." It was only a little selfish. He couldn’t leave Stiles behind now, but there was a reason he’d left Beacon Hills. The worst moments in his life had happened here and Derek had been glad to leave. Stiles had understood why he’d refused to come back. 

Derek was also a Beta without an Alpha. The only reason Stiles had let him in and let him close, besides the obvious, was because Derek wasn't a threat. That wasn't true for Scott or any member of his pack though.

"We've just been making things worse, haven't we?" Lydia asked, and for the first time Derek noticed how pale she looked. They should have called him earlier. He knew her and Stiles had gotten close. 

"Yes." Derek turned to Scott "Alphas can usually co-exist, but Stiles hasn’t even learned how to control his instincts yet, and everyone who should be in his pack is in yours. It’s why he attacked you." 

Scott looked guilty and Derek couldn't bring himself to assail that guilt. Stiles should have never been placed in the position he was in in the first place. He had made it pretty clear time and time again he didn't want the bite. As his Alpha, Scott should have protected him. Hell, Scott should have been the one to give him the bite. Derek didn’t know who had but it hadn't been Scott. If it had been, the attack would have never happened. 

Stiles might have been human but he had been just as much a part of Scott's pack as anyone else. Derek knew all too well the guilt of losing a Beta and it wasn’t like there was anything he could say to help with that, not when a part of him blamed Scott as well. He would have rather never known Stiles was his mate if that meant he hadn’t had to be turned against his will. 

Scott swallowed and sat down heavily into one of the kitchen chairs, clasping his hands in front of him. "Do you know how to help him?"

Derek wished he had put his coat back on, if only so he could feel like he wasn't on display in front of them. "Not really, but I can try," he admitted. "I think the best thing for him right now would be to get out of here. He needs time to settle and learn control." Derek didn’t want to talk about the other thing, not until he knew how Stiles felt and what he wanted to do. Mating was an old phenomenon that didn’t always equal a romantic relationship. Over the years, packs had found different ways to handle it. However, it did mean he could help Stiles adjust. 

"You want to take Stiles back to New York with you." Lydia straightened, her eyes narrowing as she caught onto his trail of thought. 

Derek nodded. "Stiles and I are... friends." It was the closest word Derek could think of to describe the relationship they'd formed over the years. They’d never really crossed those lines, both minding the boundaries when it was unlikely they’d be in the same place anytime soon. Cora would tease him about having a long distance relationship to avoid having one with someone he could actually touch. "And I'm a Beta, he won't see me as a threat," Derek laid out the facts. “There are some forests in the area I can take him too for the upcoming full moon." 

"How long would it take?" The Sheriff didn't look too happy about the idea, but he seemed willing to listen.

"The next few full moons. Maybe more, maybe less. Also, it depends on if Stiles says yes or not," Derek reminded them. If Stiles refused he would think of something else. He was already preparing himself mentally for relocating to Beacon Hills.

********

Stiles had agreed. He’d almost looked relieved at the suggestion. After a long hug with his dad and a tense one with Scott he had tossed a bag into Derek’s car. Lydia had been the last to hug him and Derek had tuned out their conversation as he'd helped the Sheriff place another bag into the trunk.

They had only been on the road for a few hours when Stiles had broken, curiosity finally getting to him. “So, this?” He waved his hand between the two of them. “Is what I think it is, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Derek didn’t bother to pretend he didn’t know what Stiles he was talking about. 

“Did you know?” Stiles didn’t seem upset, just genuinely curious. He was also wearing one of Derek’s shirts under his own. Derek hadn’t noticed it going missing from his bag, he didn’t even know when Stiles had gotten a chance to get into his bag. 

“No,” Derek bit out before remembering he was going to try to be more honest with Stiles. “I don’t know, maybe. I knew we could be compatible but you were human.” Wolves only mated with wolves, it was something his mom had explained to him again and again. “I never thought you’d get bitten, I know you didn’t want it.” He had also stopped caring about mating around the time Kate had killed his entire family. 

“No, definitely not.” Stiles snorted. 

“What happened?” Derek changed the subject, there were things he was curious about, too. 

Stiles froze from where he was fiddling with his phone. Derek had told him to let Cora know they were coming back together and Derek kept hearing the beep at every new text. Stiles had been typing before he’d asked his question. 

He briefly caught Stiles’ eyes in the rearview mirror and saw the flash of red behind the dark sunglasses Stiles had put on as soon as they got outside. That was something they were going to have to work on. Derek could feel the familiar pull again and pushed it down. Technically, he was an Omega, and all lone wolves craved an Alpha. He'd been happy without one, though. 

Stiles swallowed and Derek watched as he fidgeted in his seat before he spoke, his tone biting. “It was Aidan, you know, one of the Alpha twins?” 

Derek clenched his hands on the steering wheel, trying to keep his claws in place so they didn’t scratch the covering. The only reason Derek hadn’t killed them was because he had been trying to let go of the rage that had held tight to him as an Alpha. He couldn’t forget what they had done, Boyd’s eyes as they had forced him on Derek's claws.

“Lydia broke up with him. He went a little crazy after that. Ethan kept trying to make excuses for him but I think even he saw how unhinged he was getting. I don’t really know their story, frankly I didn’t give a crap, but they were a part of the pack and they listened to Scott.” Stiles looked out the window, lost in the memories as he spoke. “Ethan was less of an asshole, though, so it was fine, we needed the extra man power and they helped with Peter.” 

Stiles phone beeped with a text but he ignored it. “Aidan started following Lydia around town, almost as good of a creeper wolf as you were.” There was a hint of a smile on his lips at that. “Lydia wasn’t bothered by it though; I think after Peter died nothing really scared her anymore. We were studying for finals though and I spent the night over at her place a few times. He thought we were fucking.” 

“He bit you.” Derek could already see where this was going and the twist of Stiles' mouth confirmed it.

“Oh, yeah, lured me to the woods and attacked me. I think he was hoping I’d die.” Stiles took off the glasses and rubbed at his eyes, the red already fading as he opened them to look at Derek. “He chased me through the woods like it was a game, and when he tried to rip out my guts I grew freaking claws and shoved them into his throat.” Stiles looked haunted by that. 

Derek reached out and wrapped his fingers around Stiles' wrist, holding it tightly, feeling Stiles' pulse beat against his fingers. “Good, he deserved it.” Derek felt no remorse at that. 

Stiles pulled his hand up and laced their fingers together. If Derek had been human, his fingers would have been broken under the pressure. As it was, it stung enough that Derek’s healing was racing to keep up.

“Yeah.” Stiles was already sounding lighter. He looked down at the phone, his lips curving into a smile. “But, now here I am. Probably the worst person suited for Alphahood of all time.”

“Not the worst.” Derek’s smile was self-deprecating, and enough time had passed that it no longer stung. He didn’t miss it. “Besides”--he squeezed Stiles hand before pulling away so he could turn into a gas station--“there are some pluses.”

“Oh yeah”--Stiles put the sunglasses back on before leering at Derek--“definitely seeing some pluses.” He proceeded to fall all over himself getting out of the seat belt and car. Derek didn’t even try to hide his laugh, clearly grace wasn’t a werewolf trait Stiles had inherited. 

Derek was glad of that. 

He grabbed Stiles' phone from where he had left it on the seat. The last message from Cora was a series of kissing faces. Derek huffed before pocketing it, turning to follow Stiles into the store.


End file.
